Space Exploration and a Few Milestones

Space shuttle at launch
Ref:http://www.sodahead.com

The speed at which technology is evolving is quite impressive. Only a few decades ago humans invented the plane and started flying. Today we are talking of exploring other planets in the solar system. Quite impressive for this short interval of time. I wonder where technology will take us in the next hundred years.

It all started with the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first man-made object into the Earth's orbit (USSR's Sputnik 1) while on July 20, 1969 the USA landed the first man on the moon (Apollo 11).

Since then, man has continued in his pursuit for the exploration of deep space. Wondering about the vastness of the universe, it has been his quest to understand how the universe works, its origin and its fate.

Some Milestones in Space Exploration History

• October 4, 1957 : Launch of first man-made object to orbit the Earth by USSR (Sputnik 1)
• November 3, 1957 : USSR launches Sputnik II with dog named Laika onboard
• April 12, 1961 : First human to enter space  with a safe return (Cosmanaut Yuri Gagarin)
• July 20, 1969 :  The first men to walk on the moon. Astronauts Edwin Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.
• March 2, 1972 : Launch of Earth's first probe (unmanned Pioneer 10) to an outer planet,    passing through the asteroid belt, and the first man-made object to leave the solar system.
• August 20, 1975 : Launch of Viking 1, the first orbiter and lander sent to Mars
• November 20, 1998 : The first part of the International Space Station is launched.